flowers

Almost every Saturday we go to our local farmers’ market where we buy almost of our produce, plus locally produced wildflower honey and my favorite hibiscus tea, and oh, so much more. And peaches — especially those sweet, juicy peaches. For Bo’s quick and easy peach cobbler recipe click right here.

How could I forget plants?! There are several vendors with potted herbs, flowers, and ornamental shrubs. This week, we took home this basketful of goodies: sweet potatoes, avocados, a red bell pepper, Roma tomatoes, sweet grape tomatoes, and a fresh mango.

Our town has two farmers’ markets, one on Saturdays, and one on Thursdays. Surrounding towns have markets, too, so there are always plenty of places to go for fresh, locally grown produce. No anemic-looking tomatoes that were picked while green, then shipped 2,000 or 3,000 miles will ever be found at these markets. It’s especially important to support local growers. They provide us with fresh, locally grown, often organically grown produce. It’s especially nice to know these vegetables were picked at the peak of ripeness.

It’s stone crab season and both of us are anxious to enjoy some.

Each week the veggies look prettier than ever. This photo is from a different trip to the market. Those zucchini were sliced and grilled along with some grouper filets that week. The avocados and some of the grape tomatoes will be part of my lunch in one of my favorite lunch salads. For the recipe click here. It will add color, not to mention flavor in a stir-fry dish, but some of it will be sliced and eaten raw after being dipped into some light-ranch dressing. Yum.

These Markets Are Pet Friendly

The weekly markets are as much a social occasion as they are a better way to get fresh, locally grown produce.

They’re also a chance for dogs to socialize not only with other dogs, but with people, too. You meet more people when you have a dog with you. We often see friends and neighbors, and we did today.